[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4958 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4958

       To provide for a vaccine safety public awareness campaign.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 3, 2020

  Mr. Portman (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Thune, and Mr. Menendez) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
       To provide for a vaccine safety public awareness campaign.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Support 
Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. VACCINE SAFETY PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary''), acting through the 
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in 
coordination with the Office of Minority Health and the Federal Office 
of Rural Health Policy of the Department of Health and Human Services, 
and, as appropriate, with the relevant Offices of Minority Health of 
the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute on 
Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the Indian Health Service, 
shall establish grant funding opportunities for eligible entities to 
carry out a national, evidence-based campaign to disseminate COVID-19 
vaccination information.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, an entity shall--
            (1) be a State, local, Tribal, or territorial health 
        department, an urban Indian organization (as defined in section 
        4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603)), 
        a nonprofit community-based organization, or a nonprofit faith-
        based organization; and
            (2) agree to--
                    (A) work in consultation with relevant State and 
                local health officials, health care providers, health 
                care facilities, and other appropriate stakeholders to 
                carry the campaign under this section; and
                    (B) submit to the Secretary, within 30 days of 
                receipt of a grant, a proposed plan for use of the 
                grant funds.
    (c) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Entities receiving a grant under this 
        section shall use such grant funds to--
                    (A) increase awareness and knowledge of the safety 
                and effectiveness of vaccines approved or authorized by 
                the Food and Drug Administration for the prevention and 
                control of COVID-19 and the benefit of receiving a 
                COVID-19 vaccine;
                    (B) provide information on where the vaccine can be 
                obtained; and
                    (C) create multilingual and culturally appropriate 
                messaging to disseminate scientific and evidence-based 
                information related to vaccines.
            (2) Details of campaigns.--Information disseminated by an 
        entity receiving a grant under this section shall--
                    (A) be based on available scientific evidence;
                    (B) increase awareness and knowledge of COVID-19, 
                including countering stigma associated with COVID-19;
                    (C) improve information on the availability of 
                COVID-19 vaccines, including countering misinformation 
                and disinformation with evidence-based scientific 
                rebuttals; and
                    (D) improve awareness and knowledge of coverage of 
                COVID-19 vaccines.
    (d) Prioritization.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities in either urban or 
rural communities (or a combination of urban and rural communities) 
that serve vulnerable populations, including communities of color, 
which may include low-income, uninsured, and medically underserved 
individuals or populations with historically low rates of receiving 
vaccines.
    (e) Timing.--The Secretary shall awards the grants under this 
section not later than 30 days after the earlier of--
            (1) the date on which the Food and Drug Administration 
        licenses a COVID-19 vaccine under section 351 of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262); or
            (2) the date on which a manufacturer begins to distribute a 
        COVID-19 vaccine to public or private entities pursuant to an 
        emergency use authorization under section 564 of the Federal 
        Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360bbb-3).
    (f) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) conduct qualitative assessments regarding the campaign 
        under this section; and
            (2) not later than one year after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, prepare and submit to the Committee on Appropriations 
        and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
        the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations and the 
        Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
        Representatives an evaluation of the campaign under this 
        section.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal year 2021.
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